Building a Passivhaus standard property comes at a higher cost compared to standard build house and these factors to be taken into account
A building which has been designed to comply with Passivhaus principles.
Q: Why did you choose this building Richard?
A: This new build property built in a rural area in the county of Berkshire and has been designed to comply with Passivhaus principles, resulting in a low energy consuming property built with the latest low carbon emitting materials and services.
Q: What are the differences between this property and any other standard construction property?
A: Most modern standard properties are built to a level which runs on a value engineered approach, achieving perhaps only the minimum standards of heat losses and energy usage to keep initial costs low. This property has taken an opposite approach, where heat losses and energy usage have been put above an initial financial outlay.
Q: How does this affect the valuation and rebuild cost?
A: Building a Passivhaus standard property comes at a higher cost compared to standard build house. For an accurate insurance valuation unique factors need to be taken into account, including the different materials being used, such as highly insulated walls, roofs and floors; all using an eco-friendly Hempcrete material, air tight windows and doors and even recycled plastic roof tiles!
On top of all of these features you may also find higher labour rates, where a specialist team may need to be involved. All of which could lead to an overall cost per metre of around £3500 compared to a standard cost of around £1000 for a standard new build property.
Surveyor, Richard Payne.
Q: What do you do when you are not working?
A: When I’m not out and about on the roads of the UK visiting these varied and interesting properties I can be found hopelessly following my favourite team Portsmouth Football Club, followed by a brisk jog on the seafront or canal side to forget our latest result.
Having a great love of all things Indian and having visited many historic temples across India and South East Asia it had never occurred to me that it would be possible to find an equal in the suburbs of North West London.
This exquisitely carved Hindu temple of pure marble and limestone is as beautiful as anything to be found in the Indian sub-continent, and is in fact only 21 years old, every square inch hand carved by craftsmen to a breath-taking degree of detail.
But where to find the sheer number of craftsmen needed to undertake such a project, and moreover to complete it in 3 years from start to finish? Some of the blocks of marble were sourced in India, much in Italy, and together with the Bulgarian limestone used for the exterior of the building, all were transported to 14 different sites across India, there being hand-carved by more than 1,500 skilled craftsmen, before being shipped back to England and assembled on the site that was already being prepared.
The Haveli features impressive expanses of intricately carved teak
The large majority of the workers were volunteers, both in India, and in London, where the final construction and assembly of the Mandir was completed over a two year period. The Mandir was opened in August 1995 by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj alongside the Haveli, a 10,000 square metre Hindu cultural centre, this building featuring equally impressive expanses of intricately carved teak…but that would need to be the subject of another article!
From a reinstatement cost assessment point of view, this created a very unique challenge – to ascertain how much it would cost to rebuild using the same degree of Hindu craftsmanship, only to be found in India, but on a more commercial basis, i.e. paid, as opposed to voluntary, labour. All elements had to be brought into the equation – costs of raw stone, shipping costs to and from India, Indian labour costs, accommodation and labour costs of craftsmen living temporarily in London….and so on!
For me it was the perfect combination of a fabulous building and a challenge to really get my teeth into!
What would be the key concerns about rebuilding in this location?
The usual issues associated with rebuilding in this location, particularly such as cost of labour and materials which are higher in London than average for the country as a whole, did not really apply to this build as so much was voluntary, and the materials sourced from abroad.
In an insurance rebuilding situation however, where paid local tradesmen would be used for all of the construction other than the stone carving, it would need to be factored in. More specifically however, the site itself is large and level, with plenty of working space around the buildings. There is a good road network with easy access from the North Circular Road and it is not a conservation area, so there are minimal extra contingencies to be added to the basic build costs.
Any interesting facts about this building?
The Mandir had to be built to conform to India’s ancient architectural texts known as the Shilpa Shastras, and as such there is no structural steel support or reinforcement in the building. This created a big challenge to ensure the building was entirely self-load-bearing and at the same time meeting British building regulations.
If you could survey and building, which would you choose?
I think it would have to be the Potala Palace in Tibet, with its incredible views of the Himalayas. As rebuilding challenges go, this enormous palace and Buddhist place of worship, built at 3,700m and designed to be earthquake proof, yet still architecturally beautiful, has to be up there as one of the greatest.
A: Travelling anywhere, whenever possible, with or without my husband and kids in tow!
Otherwise, I am involved with my local theatre group, usually to be found propping up bits of scenery or painting signs, with occasional forays into the acting side of things.
We have assessed quite a few stadiums at BCH I would love to try and tackle the home of English Rugby.
This cathedral of rugby has evolved over time with improvements, enhancements and the odd conversion.
(No penalties for the puns please)
Q: Why did you choose this building?
A: We have assessed quite a few stadiums at BCH, but I would love to try and tackle the home of English Rugby, and if anyone there is listening and there’s an offside chance, I’m available for a site visit on Saturday 11th March around 4pm – me and 82,000 others! This cathedral of rugby has evolved over time with improvements, enhancements and the odd conversion to become the fourth largest stadium in Europe.
Q: What would be the key concerns about rebuilding here?
A: It would be a tough challenge although access from all flanks would assist, the sheer scale of rebuilding this fortress would cause a ruckus and delays could have a knock on effect.
Q: Interesting fact about this building?
A: The pitch is still in the exact the same place as it was in 1909 and though the grass has been re-laid many times since and is now one of the most advanced pitches in the world, the earth beneath is still the old dirt dug out from the Metropolitan Line.
Q: If you could survey and assess any building in the world, which would you choose?
Apart from Twickers? For something similar and closer to my roots, Croke Park, but for something very different, St Basil’s Cathedral.
Q: What do you do when you are not working?
A: Mainly family time with my two young daughters although I also follow Arsenal and Leicester Tigers, play guitar and tinker with my motorbikes. I’m also a qualified artistic gymnastics coach and help out at a local academy.
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Speak to the Buildings Insurance Valuation experts
If you're looking for a practice that focuses exclusively on buildings insurance valuations, you've come to the right place. We survey all types of property from private homes and blocks of flats to commercial and industrial premises.